In some of the more interesting news coming out of the UFC 165 fight week, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White told media that Cung Le would serve in his role for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: China.

White has been the overseer and at times, the motivator, for fighters on the long running reality television show. He’s helped convince fighters to remain on the show, while at other times has had to lay down the law and kick athletes off out of the house.

According to White, Le has been at the Zuffa Headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, learning about all things Ultimate Fighter.

“(Cung Le) is going to be the ‘me’ in China. He’s there to remind everyone why they’re there and what’s going on. He was in the office two days ago and I walked him through everything with The Ultimate Fighter and he’s ready to go.”

Congratulations to Cung Le for his round 1 knockout victory over Rich Franklin in the main event at China’s first ever UFC event. Peter Rutherford of YAHOO SPORTS covers event:

By Peter Rutherford

MACAU (Reuters) – Kickboxing champion Cung Le let his fists do the talking for once with a devastating one-punch knockout of Rich Franklin in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first event in China early on Sunday.

Le’s win in the main event at Macau’s Venetian hotel takes him a step closer to a shot at the middleweight title but after an intense training camp and strict diet to make weight the 40-year-old knew exactly what the victory would bring.

“I know it’s going to lead to some large pizzas,” Le told a news conference after the fight.

Le, who was born in the former Saigon and left in a helicopter with his family days before the fall, is one of the few UFC fighters who rely on traditional Chinese martial arts and his biggest weapons have been his array of kicks.

“I’ve been working a lot on my hands because at one point my foot was messed up so I didn’t get a chance to kick much during training. But my trainer Scott Sheeley worked my hands to death and I got the knockout with my hands, it’s amazing,” he said.

Cung Le is training hard for his headline fight against Rich “Ace” Franklin on the UFC Macau card on November 10th at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China. After his unanimous decision victory over Patrick Cote, Cung now faces the opponent he was originally scheduled to fight on UFC148, Rich Franklin. Coming off a win over Wanderlei Silva on UFC147, Franklin has now changed his focus back to fighting Cung Le in UFC’s first ever event in China.

In a back-and-forth three-round fight that featured plenty of highlight-reel strikings attempts, Le outpointed Cote to win a unanimous decision with a 30-27 sweep of the judges’ scorecards.

The main-card bout was part of Saturday’s UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Le, a more high-profile striker than the Canadian, threw the bigger kicks and punches. Cote wasn’t afraid to stay on the feet and get inside with the kickboxing legend. But he never could land fully with the big right hand he’s known for.

Le mixed in spinning wheel kicks, head kicks, spinning back fists and spinning kicks to the body. But Cote continued to push forward and was able to do some damage when he got inside against Le, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion.

Both fighters fought through a patient first round, feeling each other out and looking to establish a rhythm. And though Cote had moments in which he seemed on the verge of putting together the type of combination that could throw Le off, he wasn’t able to pick up any rounds with the judges.

“I feel great. A little tired,” Le said. “I was going to do a backflip, but I didn’t have any energy. He’s got such a hard head — I hurt my foot on it. I fought my heart out.”

Le said that despite being 40 years old, he’s not yet ready to call it quits on his MMA career.

“One goal reached, and another goal to come,” Le said. “I’m going to go back to the drawing board — but I’m an adrenaline junkie and I’m not sure I can give it up yet. To all the 40-year-olds, I did it for you guys.”

“I thought it was tricky,” Cote said. “I was about to push the pace, but he had a lot better footwork than I was expecting.”

Cote (18-8 MMA, 4-8 UFC) put together a four-fight win streak to earn his return to the UFC, but the loss was his fourth straight with the company. Le (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) won for the first time as a UFC fighter.

Cung Le sits down with Front Row Fights and talks about his upcoming movie “Dragon Eyes” with Jean-Claude Van Damme, his friendship with Channing Tatum and his next UFC fight against former middleweight champion, Rich “Ace” Franklin.

Cung Le’s next fight has just been confirmed for UFC 148 where he will face former UFC champion Rich Franklin. Cung Le is honored to be given the opportunity to fight Rich and gives an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow about his loss against Wanderlei Silva and his upcoming fight on July 7th.